The Stranger removed it’s story and the link is now bouncing back to Drudge where it originally got it’s legs. They undoubtedly heard a few voices or saw the threat of lawsuit. Not ones to take any responsibility they continue with a discussion on their blog, The Slog and now call it the “Hell House Freakout”.

As the original published story is newsworthy, I have decided to reprint the article (with addresses removed) for those interested to see the original and decide for yourselves what kind of publication The Stranger is. Those who wish to contact the staff of the Stranger are encouraged to do so.

UPDATE- Nov. 2 10am:
The Stranger is now doing some serious back peddling. A new post on the Slog is now claiming that they removed the article because they received “death threats”. Since their personal addresses were posted in comments of the original story, they claim that they are now simply protecting their staff. If that was true, why didn’t they simply moderate the comments?

Well Stranger Staff, It seems you don’t like it as much when the shoe is on the other foot, do you? As for those “death” threats? I don’t buy it for a minute. The editors and staff probably saw the err of their ways by being threatened alright. Threatened with law suits and loss of advertising revenue.

REPRINT: HELL HOUSES– Originally published on Nov. 1st by the Seattle newspaper The Stranger.

Hell Houses
Topography of Terror: The Eastside Edition

By Stranger Staff
Cobwebs and witches are for children and morons. If you’re looking for the most hair-raising Halloween horrors, try scouring the streets of the Eastside. That’s where we found the most pants-wettingly scary houses, sure to give you night terrors well past Halloween and all the way until November 4. Because in an election year, nothing’s more terrifying than the future.

-ADDRESS REMOVED- Mercer Island

“No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear,” wrote British philosopher Edmund Burke in 1756. It’s as true today as ever. Case in point: this bloodcurdling Mercer Island lawn display, a quadruple whammy of Republican propaganda capable of driving the most reasonable citizen to insanity. By day, it’s a standard collection of yard signs on a well-manicured lawn. But at night, it’s a GOP graveyard, where the yard-sign tombstones are unearthed by zombie candidates hungry for brains. Do you have what it takes to drive a stake through the heart of zombie Dino Rossi or blast a shotgun into the chest of zombie Dave Reichert or fight off the reanimated ashes of Steve Litzow, swirling out of that terrifying urn? Run.

-ADDRESS REMOVED- Mercer Island

Hungarian peasants have an old and terrible story about “the tree of death,” which by some trick of evil had lurking in its twisted branches the “dark lord,” the master of the underworld, the evil that brings all things to their end. It was there in the tree, waiting, watching, and preying on the living. Passing this dead—nay, murdered—tree on Mercer Island takes us back to the scariest bowels of Hungary, only instead of one dark lord, this tree is possessed by a trinity of evil, represented quite fittingly by cheap glossy crassness tacked over mercilessly hacked nature.

-ADDRESS REMOVED- Bellevue

What is more terrifying than this edifice, in which there is no door, few windows, and no handholds by which one might scale its faceless heights to register complaint? One half-expects loudspeakers on the roof to be blaring Orson Welles voice, from his movie version of Franz Kafka’s The Trial: A man comes from the country, begging admittance to the law. But the guard cannot admit him. Can he hope to enter at a later time? “That is possible,” says the guard. The man tries to peer through the entrance. He had been taught that the law should be accessible to every man. “Do not attempt to enter without my permission,” says the guard. “I am very powerful, but I am the least of all the guards.” Without a doubt, this is no home to man, but a monolithic holding cell packed floor-to-ceiling with bubbling black goo.

-ADDRESS REMOVED- Mercer Island

That John McCain sign is screamingly scary enough in the early-evening light, like a little flag for an evil army of pint-sized ghouls marching through the leafy streets of Mercer Island. And that zigzagging, funereal fence behind it? That is the sign of an isolated home, sheltering isolated minds—bristling, cold and black, a thousand points of death—and the kind of house that gives trick-or-treaters miniboxes of raisins. Beware.

-ADDRESS REMOVED- Bellevue

This most terrifying tableau gains its power from what’s not shown but easily imagined: the presence of John McCain and Sarah Palin not in name but bodily form, striding triumphantly onto this balcony like a trailer-park Eva Perón and her cryogenically defrosting old-man running mate. Down below, the desperate, unemployed masses huddle in the shrubs, their bellies roiled by hunger and heartbreak, their cold bare ankles stung by the blades of wet grass. Or… could those be tiny tentacles or the haunted bubbling of mass graves or the desperate clutching fingers of a special-needs child? Flee, and don’t look back.

-ADDRESS REMOVED- Medina

Like an oversized cousin of John McCain’s aged, brown iguana teeth, this foreboding fence is busy keeping immigrants out and Jesus’s love within. How like the wily immigrant is the frightening foliage, as it insidiously creeps and scratches at Real America’s doorstep! How mighty the speculum of Dino Rossi—an army of dead-baby ghosts at his back—aborting civil rights before civil rights can abort him first! Who knows what liberal bogeymen lurk outside this fence’s cherished sanctum? The nightmare has just begun for you, Republican fence.

So, my McCain/Palin campaign lawn sign has been vandalized 3 times in the last week. I should have known better since I live in the home state of “The One” himself. Actually, I’m surprised it has lasted as long as it has, a whole two weeks so far. Alas, I digress. The subject of this post is not to talk about my woes, but to inform readers about the violent and radical activities from the left during this (dare I say) historical presidential election.

The number and magnitude of these “hate” crimes is on the rise as we near the election on Nov. 4th, and it is alarming. I call these people “Obama’s Minions”. These radicals that support him will, in my opinion will drive a wedge between the left and right in America that has not been seen since the 60’s. They will do anything to get thier radical brother elected. These leftist radicals are trying to recapture their glory days and hippy youth and it will be wrought with violence.

They profess to be champions of free speech, but at every turn the bias is deafening and the hipocracy is blinding. Have an opposing view, and you will feel thier rath and taste thier distain for any real debate as they degrade into street thugs and hate mongers.

So I plan to keep this post updated with links to the latest stories on the inter-web reporting on these acts of violence and vandalism.

Check back here often to see the latest reports-

GALAX, VA.– Mike Stevens says he and other Republican campaign volunteers were attacked on Monday when they were sprayed with pepper spray after an altercation with two people over campaign signs.

LONGWOOD, Fla.– The home of a Central Florida Republican headquarters manager was shot up and damaged over his support of Sen. John McCain, the man told police. “Democrats Far More Aggressive in Seminole County,” Victim Says.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Authorities have arrested two men after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a 4-foot by 8-foot campaign sign for Republican presidential candidate John McCain in a southeast Portland yard.

MANHATTAN, Ny. – “Defendant grabbed the sign [informant] was holding, broke the wood stick that was attached to it, and then struck informant in informant’s face thereby causing informant to sustain redness, swelling, and bruising to informant’s face and further causing informant to sustain substantial pain.”

Oprah Winfrey has just released a statement stating that Gov. Sarah Palin, the republican Vice Presidential nominee, will not appear on the Oprah Winfrey show.

If you’re a republican woman, don’t help Oprah use her celebrity to help Obama. Stop watching her show today, and show her that you do not appreciate her bias. Write to her at Harpo Studios, and tell her if she is going to cover politics that she should cover both sides or you’ll take your advertising dollars elsewhere.

HER STATEMENT: “The item in today’s Drudge Report is categorically untrue. There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show. At the beginning of this Presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates. I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over.”

Oprah’s statement was in response to a story on the Drudge Report earlier in the day, stating that certain staff at Harpo Studios were in disagreement on whether to book Gov. Palin on the show. Barak Obama was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show prior to announcing his intention on running for the presidency. Ms. Winfrey has publicly endorsed Obama and actively campaigns with him.

In my opinion, the reason that she claims to not want to use her show as a platform for politics, is that she has already made her choice, he has already made his appearance, and she understands that she would have to give (at least the illusion) of equal time and coverage on her show or she could face backlash from her primarily female audience.

Palin would be a great guest and is an inspiration to all American women regardless of party affiliation. To host a guest as historically significant as the first woman republican nominee for Vice President, Oprah should put aside her party bias and invite Sarah Palin as a guest. To do otherwise, appears racist or at a minimum politically biased, either of which is certain to draw away large numbers of her viewers. If she truly cares about her female audience, she owes it to herself and her audience to book Sarah Palin on her show.

Just for good measure, she should also be allowed to host her close friend Barak again, so as to not appear unfair. Actually, I just don’t want to hear the whining from the left.

Last night I watched one of the most compelling speeches I think I have seen in a very long time. I was thrilled to see Sarah Palin stand up to the liberal media, Barak Obama, and Joe Biden all in one fell swoop.

More remarkably, she may have been ad-libbing much of the speech due to a problematic teleprompter. Some sources claim there was no problem, while others are claiming the operator may have been inexperienced with a new machine. In any case, her delivery was exceptional and undeniably historic, as the first woman to be the Vice Presidential nominee for the Republican party.

She was poised and spoke as a true American, one who will be able truly lead reform in Washington. Any doubt that I had regarding her ability to rally people behind her, and lead a cause was erased with last night’s powerful speech.

From her remarks on special needs children, to her understanding of the global dangers facing us today, Sarah Palin will undoubtedly serve America first. I especially enjoyed the jabs at the inexperienced Presidential nominee and his bloviating side kick.

John McCain did well to pick her as his Veep, no matter how “last minute”. Captain Leadbottom can look forward to supporting a Republican ticket once more.

Yet another slanderous story regarding VP hopeful Sarah Palin and her family will be reported by the supermarket tabloid, The National Enquirer, tomorrow.

I wrote yesterday about the tabloids US Weekly and OK Magazine, and how these magazines need to stay away from the politics that shape our nation. Now, The Enquirer is about to publish an outright vicious story accusing the conservative Alaskan governor of infidelity and of pressuring her 17 yr old daughter Bristol to marry the father of her yet unborn child.

This story is not going to make or break the next big blockbuster movie that a star may be promoting. It is far more serious. This kind of unsubstantiated trash can only serve disrupt or even potentially destroy a major political figure on the precipice of history making nomination. It dangerously disrupts our election process with the only motive being the all mighty dollar.

This is not news people! This is tabloid trash that is trying to pass itself off as journalism by buying lies. Reporters don’t pay for their stories like the Enquirer does. A real journalist sources and back ups their claims with fact and documents, not quotes from second hand “friends of a friends” here-say.

The Steve Schmidt of the McCain campaign immediately issued this press release:

“The smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Gov. Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie,”

“The efforts of the media and tabloids to destroy this fine and accomplished public servant are a disgrace. The American people will reject it.”

“Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin look forward to discussing the issues that Americans care about, fixing broken government, creating jobs, making our country energy independent and securing the peace for the next generation by bringing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a victorious end.”

“Legal action will be considered with regard to this disgraceful smear.”

I do reject it, and will not fall for this sensationalist fodder and I hope you don’t either. I hope to see the National Enquirer pay dearly in court if this story is proved to be without merit.

Vote McCain/Palin in November friends! We need to kind of fresh, conservative leadership the Gov. Palin brings to the table and the kind of dedication to country that a McCain / Palin ticket promises.

Fred Thomson give a remarkable speech at the Republican National convention. He attacks the liberal media for getting their coverage of McCain’s VP pick, Gov. Sarah Palin. Fred continues by telling a heartfelt story about McCain’s time as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton. He also points out Obama’s inexperience by calling him, “The most inexperienced candidate to ever run for the presidency.”